Seared Scallops with Fava Beans, Maitake Mushrooms and Lime-Ginger Vinaigrette

I usually get my cooking inspiration one of two ways.  I either go with a specific dish I have been craving, or I just go to the market and see what's good.  There were some awesome looking fava beans at the farmer's market this weekend, so I wanted to build a dish around them.  Later that day I picked up maitake mushrooms from the Japanese market.  The next day I got some amazing wild-caught U-10 scallops (that means under 10 per pound) at the supermarket, and Sunday dinner was a done deal.  I first blanched the fava beans in salted water, shelled them, and sauteed the mushrooms in a pan.  Then I seared the scallops in a grill pan.  I finished the dish with a vinaigrette made with lime juice and grated ginger to cut through the richness of the scallops and mushrooms.  This dish is what cooking is all about...showing off really good ingredients with straightforward techniques (and charging exorbitant prices for it).

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Dover Sole with Shaved Asparagus Salad

I've been searching for inspiration lately, and sometimes you just have to walk around the grocery store and wait for something to jump out at you.  I saw some Dover Sole and decided to pair it with some fresh Spring asparagus.  I dusted the sole in seasoned AP flour and pan fried it in olive oil until lightly browned on both sides.  I removed the fish from the pan and then made a pan sauce by adding butter and fresh lemon juice.  For the side, I shaved some fresh asparagus and dressed it simply in olive oil and some more lemon juice.  The sole was delicate, and the asparagus added a fresh, crisp contrast.

Salmon Primavera

Now that Spring is here, it's time for lighter dishes.  I was at the farmer's market and came away with some fresh thyme (among other goodies that didn't make it home).  After a trip to Ralph's Fresh Faire and some rummaging through the produce drawer of the fridge, I settled on roasting some salmon along with some summer squash and asparagus.  The thing that tied it all together was a zesty lemon vinaigrette that I made from scratch with Dijon mustard, lemon juice and olive oil.  Simple but spectacular (not to mention seasonal, too).

Old Fashioned

I am a firm believer that there is no reason to ever mess with the classics, and that philosophy carries over to my adult beverages of choice.  In a tribute to the upcoming 6th season of Mad Men, I made one of Don Draper's favorites, the Old Fashioned.  Start with a splash of water, a few dashes of Angostura bitters and some white sugar in an old fashioned glass (one day I will post my manifesto on proper bar glassware), mix, then add ice and 2 oz. of whiskey (I prefer rye, but I was out so I used bourbon).  Finish it off with a garnish of orange peel, and it's ready to go (I was out of oranges, so I used lemon instead).